Orkney Islands
§ This page gives an overview of the Orkney Islands local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Orkney Islands lie off Scotland’s northeast coast and consist of around 70 islands, of which about 20 are inhabited. Known for Neolithic sites like Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar, Orkney has a strong maritime heritage, with fishing, farming, and renewable energy as key sectors.
The administrative boundary of Orkney Islands can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Orkney Islands.
Key Facts about Orkney Islands
What region is Orkney Islands in? Orkney Islands is in Scotland, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.
Is Orkney Islands a city? No, Orkney Islands is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Orkney Islands? The local government for this district is: Orkney Islands Council (Scotland Council Area).
▶ Official website of Orkney Islands Council 🔗 orkney.gov.uk
Which police force covers Orkney Islands? Policing in Orkney Islands is provided by Police Scotland 🔗 scotland.police.uk, which covers the whole of Scotland.
Constituencies in Orkney Islands
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 57 of them are in Scotland. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands is divided into 6 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray
- Kirkwall East
- Kirkwall West and Orphir
- North Isles
- Stromness and South Isles
- West Mainland
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.
Built-up Areas in Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands covers 9 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Burray Village
- Dounby
- Finstown
- Hackness
- Kirkwall
- Pierowall
- St Margaret's Hope
- Stromness
- Tankerness
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Orkney Islands.)